Fitment for pouring spout



y 4, 1963 J. a. LlVlNGSTONE 3,089,621

FITMENT FOR POURING SPOUT Filed Jan. 19, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 14, 1953 J. G. LIVINGSTONE 3,089,621

FITMENT FOR POURING SPOUT Filed Jan. 19, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 y 1963 J. G. LIVINGSTONE 3,089,621

FITMENT FOR POURING SPOUT I Filed Jan. 19, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 3,089,621 FITMENT FOR PQUG SPOUT Jay G. Livingstone, 715 W. Market St, Akron, Ohio Filed Jan. 19, 1959, Sea. No. 787,724 11 Claims. ((31. ZZZ-4.43)

This invention relates to fitments for the pouring spout of a container.

The invention pertains to different types of fitment. One type of fitment includes a central raised opening surrounded at some distance by a pouring lip.

Another type of fitment is to be used in connection with a closure which is in threaded engagement with the pouring "outlet of the container. There is an opening through the fitment which includes a wiping element the wiping blade of which is in contact with the under side of the closure. The contact between the wiper blade and the closure cap is maintained only as the cap is screwed tight on the container and at the start of its release therefrom.

Contact is usually maintained during no more than one complete turn of the closure cap, and usually during only slightly more than one-quarter or one-half turn. The purpose of bringing the wiper blade into contact with the undersurface of the closure cap is to remove liquid from the top inner surface of the closure cap and thus prevent it from draining and dripping therefrom with resultant soiling of the container, the table cloth or other surface on which it is located, etc.

This type of fitment is designed particularly for use on bottles containing thick liquids, such as catsup, salad dressings, table syrups, medicinal syrup, etc. It is adapted to remove such liquids from the top inner surface of the closure as the closure cap is removed from the fitment. The liquid may be deposited on this surface of the closure cap when the container is tipped or shaken.

The invention will be further described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGS. 1A, 1B and 10 together constitute an exploded diametrical sectional view of a bottle, a fitment adapted to snap on to the mouth of the bottle and a cap adapted to be screwed on to the bottleo ver the fitment;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a fitment which may be the fitment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a section through the same with the fitment snapped on to the mouth of a bottle .and the cap screwed down on to it;

FIG. 4 shows a section through a modified form of snap-on fitment;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an opening through such a fitment;

FIG.

FIG.

FIG.

FIG.

FIG. FIG. 11 is a plan view of a still different type of fitment;

FIG. 12 shows a section through the middle of the same;

FIG. 13 is a plan view illustrating a different type of wiper from that shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 14 shows a section through the middle of the same;

FIG. 15 shows a section through the middle of a somewhat different type of equipment with the same plan View as illustrated in FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a plan view of a modification of the fitment shown in FIGS. 11 and 12;

FIG. 17 is a plan view of a modification of the fitment shown in FIG. 16;

6 shows a section on the line 66 of FIG. 5;

7 is a plan view of a modified opening;

8 shows a section on the line 83 of FIG. 7;

9 is a plan view of a modified type of equipment;

FIG. 18 shows a section on the line 18-18 of FIG. 17; 70

FIG. 19 is a plan view of a modified form of equipment;

shows a section through the middle of FIG. 9; 5

Patented May 14, 1963 FIG. 20 shows a horizontal section through the middle of the fitment shown in FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a plan view of a further modification;

FIG. 22 shows a section through FIG. 21 on the line 2222;

FIG. 23 is a plan view of a modification of the fitment shown in FIGS. 192l;

FIG. 24 shows a horizontal section through the middle of the fitment shown in FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a plan view of a further modification; and

FIG. 26 is a section on the line 26-46 of FIG. 25.

The fitments are all made of polyethylene or other resilient plastic. The containers and closures are made of glass or any rigid or resilient plastic or sheet material such as paper or cloth treated with plastic and provided with a rigid circular opening for the pouring of liquid, etc. Paper, plastic or other liners may be provided in the top of the closure cap to prevent contact of the contents of the container therewith. The disclosure refers to liquid on the top of the inside of the closure cap, and it is immaterial whether or not there is a liner there.

All of the various complete fitments shown in the drawings, except the fitment shown in FIG. 15, are of the snap-on type-that is, each is provided with a depending flange with a projection on the inner surface thereof which is adapted to fit into a groove in the top of the neck of a bottle or other container, as more fully disclosed in FIGS. 1A to 1G and FIG. 3. All of the fitments may be constructed of this snap-on type. Alternatively, all of the fitments may be constructed as in FIG. 15 with a substantially cylindrical downwardly projecting portion adapted to fit within the neck of a bottle. Allof the fitments may be provided with closure caps which are adapted to be screwed on to the neck of a bottle or other container to which the fitment is attached, so as to wipe liquid adhering thereto as the closure cap is unscrewed therefrom.

All of the fitments (except possibly FIG. 1) are equipped with wiping means which is adapted to clean the top inner surface of a closure applied thereover, and for this purpose the top wiping edge of the fitment is resiliently held on the top of the container so that the closure can be screwed into and out of wiping relation therewith.

FIGURES 1A, 1B and 1C show a bottleneck 1 provided with threads 2 and an indentation 3 for a snap-on type of fitment. The fitment of FIG. 1B is provided with'a depending skirt 5 which protrudes inwardly at 6 to a location not beyond the root diameter of the threads on the neck, with a projection adapted to fit into the indentation 3 in the top of the bottleneck. When applied to the bottle, the annular tongue 8 forms sealing contact with the top annular edge 9 of the bottleneck. There is an opening through the fitment at 10. The surrounding wall is provided with a sharp outwardly directed pouring lip 11. This pouring lip and the wall 12 to which it is attached are depressibly united to the body 13 of the fitment which, in turn, is provided with the sharp pouring lip 14. The fitment is formed of a flexible plastic, preferably by injection molding. When the cap 16 is screwed on to the bottleneck, the top inner surface 17, which is fiat, first contacts the lip 14 of the fitment. As the cap is tightened on to the bottleneck, lip 14 is depressed until the lip 11 is brought into sealing contact with the inner surface 17 of the cap. If the opening 10 is circular the lip 11 will wipe only a narrow band of the inner surface 17 as the cap is screwed into contact with the lip 11 and depresses it. However, if the opening 10 is not circular but, for example, is oblong or triangular or star-shaped, or of any other shape which provides raised lip portions 11 which are not radial with respect to the center of the bottleneck, when the cap is screwed down tight on the bottle or when it is unscrewed from tight contact therewith the lip 11 wipes an area on the inside surface of the cap which is wider than the surface of the lip 11. This removes any liquid adhering to this portion of the surface 17. The cap 16 is shown and described as having a flat top, but it may be dome shaped, etc.

The threads 2 are engaged by the threads 19 on the inner surface of the cap. The relation of the threads to the top of the fitment and the inner surface of the top of the cap is such that the lip 11 contacts the inner surface 17 about one-quarter turn before the cap is screwed to the bottom of the threads on the bottleneck. Thus, for instance, if the bottle contains catsup, or an oil dressing, or a medicinal substance which must be shaken up before use, the lip 11 wipes an area of the top inner surface of the cap 17 clean as the cap is unscrewed from the bottle. It is not necessary that the surface 11 wipe the entire inner surface of the top to remove all of the contents of the bottle adhering thereto, but can be designed to accomplish this. It is only necessary that it remove the minimum amount which will prevent the probability of subsequent dripping f the liquid from the cap, or drainage of the liquid to the threads which would produce a mussy condition.

In FIGURE 18 (as also in FIGURES 12, 22, 24 and 26) acrowned or flexing section 18 is provided between the wall 12 which surrounds the opening 10, and the pouring lip 14. This permits depression of the wall 12 a very substantial distance without distortion of the pouring lip 11.

In FIG. 1B the pouring lip 11 is below the outer pouring lip 14, and need be depressed only a short distance in wiping contact with the closure cap, compared with the greater distance the pouring outlet must be depressed when it extends above the outer pouring lip, as in FIGS. 12, 20, 22, 24 and 26.

FIGURES 2-3 illustrate an embodiment in which the tmeut 20' is snapped on to the bottleneck 21 and the cap 22 is screwed down onto the bottleneck.

A plan view of the opening 24 in the fitment is shown in FIG. 2. The circle 25 indicates the inside diameter of the bottleneck. The opening is surrounded by a flange or wall' 26 of uniform height. The top 27 of this wall may be above or below the annular surface 28 of the fitment which terminates outwardly in the pointed pouring lip 29. The surface 27 may be above or below, or on the same level as the surface 28 when the cap is removed. It is important that in unscrewing the cap from the bottle, the cap make at least a 180-degree turn with the surface 27 in contact with the inside surface 30 of the cap. Thus, any liquid adhering to the inside surface of the cap, except that on a small area at the center of the cap, will be removed by the contact of the top surface 27 of the wall 26 as the cap is unscrewed. The liquid thus removed collects in the opening 24 or in the trough 32 which surrounds the pouring opening outside of the wall 26. If it collects in the trough it is poured over the pouring lip 29 when the combination of the fitment and bottle are tipped for pouring with the cap removed. A small circle at the top of the cap defined by the open area 33 as it is revolved is not wiped by the fitment. This is not odjectionable in most instances if the remaining surface of the cap is wiped free of adhering liquid.

The advantage in the elongated opening shown in FIG. 2 is that when the bottle is tipped for pouring with the elongated opening 24 substantially vertical, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a narrow constant stream of the contents of the opening is poured through the opening. If, on the other hand, the bottle is turned through 90 degrees and the contents of the bottle are poured through a horizontal opening, the opening does not easily admit air to replace liquid removed from the bottle, so that the contents of the bottle merely drip through the opening when the bottle is held in this position. Such an opening is particularly adapted for use on bottles of meat sauces, etc.

The elongated opening may be of the type shown in FIG. 5 surrounded by the wall 35. FIGURE 6 is a section on the line 66 and shows the wall rising above the portion of the fitment which surrounds the opening. The top of the wall may be above or below any surrounding pouring lip, although FIG. 6 does not indicate the nature of the fitment surrounding the opening. This is illustrated in FIG. 4 in which the wall 35 is shown below the flat surface 36 of the pouring lip. This particular fitment is of the snap-on type. Any fitment with such an opening is designed for dispensing either drops or a stream, and the wall 35 wipes a greater area of the cap surface, near its center.

FIGURE 7 illustrates a different type of elongated opening which is surrounded by the wall 40. The open ing is pointed at each end 41 and is widened at the middle 42. It is designed to pour either drops or a stream, and to wipe the cap surface. The walls 40 may be perfectly straight and omit the widened portion 42.

FIGURE 8 is a section through the opening and shows the wall 40 which in the modification shown has a uniform top level but the portions of the fitment on both sides of the opening are at different levels.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a fitment 45 of the snap-on type with a circular opening 46. The top of the fitment is flanged outwardly and terminates in a pouring lip 47. Crossed wiper bars 48 and 49 extend across the opening and meet at its center. As indicated in FIG. 10, the cross bars may be in the shape of an inverted V. These bars are rounded upwardly at the center to apply pressure to the cap as it is unscrewed from the neck of a bottle. The cap is preferably screwed down until the entire top of the fitment is flattened out so that the pouring lip 47 is pressed into the same plane as the tops of the bars 48 and 49. This fitment provides contact with the inner surface of the cap as it is unscrewed, and preferably the contact is maintained for slightly over one-quarter turn so that the entire top surface of the cap is wiped free of adhering liquid. Since the cross bars 48 and 49 are rounded upwardly, the contact is more efficiently made at the center of the cap, and this may be wiped cleaner than the edges.

In a modification of the fitment of FIGS. 9 and 10, a single cross bar, or more than two cross bars are used, and these cross bars are in contact with the surface of the cap long enough to wipe it clean.

FIGURES 11 and 12 show -a modified form of fitment with an elongated opening. The wall 55 which surrounds the opening 56 is pointed at both ends and in the middle of the sides, and the cross bar 57 connects the two side walls at the middle of the fitment providing wiping action for the entire inner surface of the cap. The top 59 of the wall 55 may be elevated somewhat above the surrounding pouring lip 61 as illustrated in FIG. 2. The fitment is flexible and the elevated wall and cross bar contact the top inner surface of the cap and are depressed before the cap makes contact with the iOlltCl wall 61 as the cap is seated on the bottle. The sunken area of the fitment between the central opening and the outer pouring lip 61 is slit along the arcs 62 and the radial lines 63. These slits may be vertical or bevelled. When the central opening is depressed (as when the cap is screwed on the bottle) these slits open and any liquid which has collected in this area (as by running down the outer surface of the wall 55 on cessation of pouring) is returned to the container.

FIGURE 16 shows a modification in which the cross bar 65 extends diagonally across the central portion of the opening. Any such cross bar wipes the center of the cap surface clean.

FIGURES 17-18 are a further modification in which a cross bar 70 extends the entire distance from the pouring lip 71 at one side of the fitment to the other. The opening 72 is surrounded by the wall 73, and FIGURE 18 shows that the bottom of the wall need not be at the same level on both sides of the opening, although the top of the wall is preferably at the same height on both sides of the opening.

FIGURE 13 is a plan view of a fitment which is a somewhat modified construction of the fitment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The cross bar 80 extends from one side of the fitment to the other. It might be cut through at its center. The cross bars 81 and 82 which are perpendicular to the cross bar 80 do not extend to the middle of the opening, but extend only about one-quarter of the way across the opening. As a cap is unscrewed from a bottle provided with such a fitment, the cross bars wipe the entire inside top surface of the cap.

The cross bars '80, 81 and 82 may be relatively shallow as illustrated in FIG. 14. They may be provided with a snap-on skirt 83 or other means for attaching them to a bottle. Instead of a snap-on skint 83, the fitment may be provided with a depending flange 85 (FIG. which fits down inside the bottleneck.

FIGURES 19 and show a further modification in which the opening 90 in the fitment has three wiper blades 91 extending into it from the body 92 of the fitment.

- The body is surrounded by the pouring lip 93. These wiping bars are adapted to wipe the entire central portion of the top inner surface of the cap, except for the very center. The wiper bars may be extended to the pouring lip 93 as illustrated, for example, in FIGS. 9 and 10, if desired.

FIGURES 21 and 22 show a modification of the prior fitment designs provided with an elongated opening adapted for the pouring of either a stream or drops. The walls 100 and 101 which extend from the pouring lip 103 on one side of the bottle to the other are of the same height, as are the interior flanges 104 and 105, and the outer flanges 106 and 107. This fitment is designed to wipe substantially the entire inside top surface of the cap when the cap is unscrewed only slightly more than 90 degrees.

The fitment of FIGS. 23 and 24 is provided with the central depressible outlet wall 110 and the outwardly tapered pouring lip 111. When the fitment is. applied to a bottle and a cap is screwed down tight upon it, pressure on the wall 110 depresses the central portion of the fitment more than the interior. FIG. 24 shows the depressed condition of the fitment in dotted lines. The two outer edges of the four triangles 112 are out, so that these are lips attached to the wall 110 at the edges 113. When the outlet is depressed these lips extend downwardly below the connecting intermediate web area 113 which supports the wall 110 from the body portion of the fitment which terminates upwardly in the lip 111. The triangular wiper flanges 115 extend outwardly from the wall 110 and connect at their bottoms with the web 113, preferably so as to slant their top against the approaching cap surface as the cap is unscrewed (as shown in FIG. 23). This gives them a certain regidi-ty so that they effectively wipe the top inner surface of the cap as it is unscrewed. While they are in wiping contact with the cap the lips 112 are depressed providing openings in the web area 113 through which the removed liquid drains. As the cap is unscrewed the lips 112 fit into the areas 113. The edges of the undersides of the openings and the top sides of the lips are preferably beveled to form a tight fit. After the cap has been removed and the bottle is tipped for pouring, the pressure of the bottle contents against the under side of the lips presses them into tight sealing contact with the web area so that no liquid leaks through here.

The fitment of FIGS. and 26 is provided with a central raised opening 120 and an outer pouring lip 121. Flanges 123 are provided on the wall of the pouring lip which slant toward the approaching top surface of the cap as it is unscrewed. They wipe wide areas of the cap surface, reducing the amount of liquid adhering thereto to an amount that is not objectionable.

The various drawings and description are illustrative. Modifications can be made within the scope of the following claims which define the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A vessel with a depressible outlet portion provided with an opening therethrough and a screw thread on the vessel, a closure cap over the outlet portion with an internal thread on the skirt of the cap which is engaged with said thread on the vessel, the cap being screwed tight on the vessel by means of interengagement of said screw threads whereby the outlet portion is depressed by the pressure of the cap against it, and wiper means at the top of the outlet portion pressing against the undersurface of the cap which wiper means extends substantially the entire distance from the center to the periphery of the outlet and is adapted to wipe substantially the entire inner surface of the cap as it is unscrewed from the vessel.

2. A vessel with a depressible outlet portion provided with an opening therethrough and a screw thread on the vessel, a closure cap over the outlet portion with an internal thread on the skirt of the cap which is engaged with said thread on the vessel, the cap being screwed tight on the vessel by means of interengagement of said screw threads whereby the outlet portion is depressed by the pressure of the cap against it, and substantially straight wiper means at the top of the outlet portion which extends across most of the distance between the wall of the opening and the center thereof whereby the Wiper wipes substantially the entire inner surface of the cap as it contacts the inner surface of the cap as the cap is unscrewed and the outlet portion is progressively less depressed.

3. A vessel with a depressible outlet portion provided with an opening therethrough and a screw thread on the vessel, a closure cap over the outlet portion with an internal thread on the skirt of the eap which is engaged with said thread on the vessel, the cap being screwed tight on the vessel by means of interengagement of said screw threads whereby the outlet portion is depressed by the pressure of the cap against it, and a plurality of spaced wiper means at the top of the outlet portion, each of said wiper means being non-concentric with respect to the cap and being adapted to wipe substantially the entire inner surface of the cap as it is unscrewed from the vessel and the outlet is thereby progressively less depressed.

4. A vessel with a depressible outlet portion with an appreciably elongated opening therethrough and a screw thread on the vessel, a closure cap over the outlet portion with an internal thread on the skirt of the cap which is engaged with said thread on the vessel, the cap being screwed tight on the vessel by means of interengagement of said screw threads whereby the outlet portion is depressed by the pressure of the cap against it and a wiper blade on the fitment in wiping contact with the underside of the closure cap and adapted to wipe an area on the underside of the closure cap larger than the area of said opening when the closure cap is unscrewed in removal from the vessel.

5. A vessel with a depressible outlet portion provided with an opening therethrough and a screw thread on the vessel, a closure cap over the outlet portion and an internal thread on the skirt of the cap which is engaged with said thread on the vessel, the area of the outlet portion bordering the opening being raised, a bar across the opening with its top at substantally the same height as said raised area, the cap being screwed tight on the vessel by means of intereng-agement of said screw threads whereby said bar and raised area are depressed by the pressure of the cap against them whereby they wipe the undersurface of the cap as the cap is unscrewed and the outlet portion is progressively less depressed.

6. A vessel with an outlet and a closure cap rotatably and removably fastened over the outlet, with a depressible fitment over the outlet with its top surface in contact with the top inner surface of the cap when the cap is fastened tight on the vessel, at least one wiper blade in the top of the fitment in wiping relation with the underside of the closure cap, which blade extends substantially radially for the major portion of the distance from near the center of the outlet to the outer edge of the fitment.

7. A vessel with an outlet portion provided with an opening therethrough and a screw thread on the vessel, a closure cap over the outlet portion and an internal thread on the skirt of the cap which is engaged with said thread on the vessel, the cap being screwed tight on the vessel by means of interengagement of said screw threads and a depressible elongated raised area in the outlet portion which extends between positions adjacent opposite edges of the outlet portion and surrounds the opening, which raised area is decompressed and wipes the underside of the cap as the cap is screwed off of the vessel.

8. A vessel with a depressible outlet portion provided with an opening therethrough, a continuous raised area around the opening, and a screw thread on the vessel, a closure cap over the outlet portion and an internal thread on the skirt of the cap which is engaged with said thread on the vessel, the cap being screwed tight on the vessel by means of interengagement of said screw threads whereby the raised area is depressed by the pressure of the cap against it, with said raised area extending substantially the entire distance from a position adjacent one edge of the outlet portion to a position adjacent the opposite edge of the outlet portion and being in contact with the inner surface of the cap and serving to wipe it as the cap is unscrewed and the outlet portion is progressiveiy decompressed.

9. The combination of claim 8 in which the outlet portion above the thread on the vessel is'a distinct element from the rest of the vessel and is composed of resilient plastic.

10. In the combination of a vessel and a flexible fitment attached thereto, an elongated raised area on the fitment extending substantially the whole distance across the'fitment, and a cover over the fitment, the fitment having a pouring outlet thercthrough surrounded by an annular pouring lip spaced therefrom, the improvement in which the top of the pouring outlet is above the pouring lip and said raised portion of the fitment is in contact with the under surface of said cover.

11. A container with a generally cylindrical pouring mouth, threads on the outside of the container, a generally cylindrical fitment composed of a relatively thin wall with a cylindrical opening therethrough and a pouring lip at the outer edge of the fitment, and a closure threaded on to said threads and having a generally circular top, the fitment including a wiper element in the opening which extends substantial-1y radially of the fitment with the wiper edge of said element in contact with the under surface of the closure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 903,399 Nixon et al Nov. 10, 1908 1,083,320 Daly Jan. 6, 1914 2,038,057 Peters Apr. 21, 1936 2,111,186 Jenlzs Mar. 15, 1938 2,630,944 Wheaton Mar. 10, 1953 2,690,861 Tripper W Oct. 5, 1954 2,785,841 Westgate Mar. 19, 1957 2,830,739 Moye Apr. 15, 1958 2,889,967 Drennan June 9, 1959 

11. A CONTAINER WITH A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL POURING MOUTH, THREADS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CONTAINER, A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL FITMENT COMPOSED OF A RELATIVELY THIN WALL WITH A CYLINDRICAL OPENING THERETHROUGH AND POURING LIP AT THE OUTER EDGE OF THE FITMENT, AND A CLOSURE THREADED ON TO SAID THREADS AND HAVING A GENERALLY CIRCULAR TOP, THE FITMENT INCLUDING A WIPER ELEMENT IN THE OPENING WHICH EXTENDS SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY OF THE FITMENT WITH THE WIPER EDGE OF SAID ELEMENT IN CONTACT WITH THE UNDER SURFACE OF THE CLOSURE. 